Protective Profound Light, Manifesting Divinity Before All!

Ouyang Xiyi, famed throughout the martial world for many years, finally decided to draw his sword and test Fang Qing's mettle.

Fang Qing's expression was utterly calm. He merely said, "Come," and waited for Ouyang Xiyi to attack.

Ouyang Xiyi looked at Fang Qing with grave eyes. He sensed that this man, who had spoken such grand words, was full of openings from head to toe—yet why was he so composed? What trump card did he possess?

However, the situation did not seem to allow him much time to think. He stepped forward, and an aura of invincibility rose within him. This was the undefeated aura he had cultivated over decades of fame.

This aura alone was enough to make many younger martial artists feel psychologically defenseless, exposing flaws in their minds.

When masters clashed, momentum was of utmost importance.

Even a shift in momentum in a single instant could become the key to changing the battle's outcome.

Clang!

Ouyang Xiyi's sword finally left its sheath. A silent, invisible sword qi followed the blade and shot straight toward Fang Qing.

This sword strike appeared plain and unremarkable, but in truth, it contained Ouyang Xiyi's lifetime of skill, reaching the realm of transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

This move was called the Sinking Sand Swordplay, the supreme killing technique Ouyang Xiyi had cultivated for decades. It emphasized momentum, placing oneself in mortal danger before finding life again, with victory or defeat decided within a few moves.

One sword strike slashed forth.

Fang Qing watched the sword.

This sword indeed carried tremendous momentum. It was a strike honed over decades by a master of this world. Others might have found it exceedingly difficult to withstand, but unfortunately, it had met him. He possessed the simplest possible way to break it.

Profound Light flowed out from Fang Qing's body, forming a sphere of golden radiance ten feet around him.

This ten-foot sphere of golden light possessed real substance, gleaming with a metallic luster. It was formed by the circulation of Fang Qing's Divine Mark, several times harder than the toughest mysterious iron in the world.

The instant this ring of Profound Light appeared, it collided with Ouyang Xiyi's decades-cultivated Sinking Sand Swordplay. The Sinking Sand Swordplay truly sank like sand, leaving not even the slightest mark upon the Profound Light before completely dissipating.

"What?"

An expression of utter disbelief appeared on Ouyang Xiyi's face.

He had considered that Young Master Fang Qing might have some means of dealing with this move, but he had never expected the other man to block his strongest killing technique completely without even moving.

Especially that ring of Profound Light—what exactly was it?

Could a human truly cultivate such a thing?

"What is that?"

"Protective true qi, brought to such a level?"

"Heavens, even the Grandmaster of the martial world, Ning Daoqi, the foremost figure of the Mystic Sect, probably does not possess such Protective Profound Light! Could this man truly have descended from the Immortal Realm?"

"With such Protective Profound Light, who could possibly be his opponent?"

Ouyang Xiyi was not the only one shocked. Every remaining guest was equally stunned.

All the guests stared at the ring of Profound Light surrounding Fang Qing, so shaken that they did not know what to say.

There were people in the martial world who had cultivated for decades, nearly a century, yet the true qi they had cultivated was still far inferior to that of Young Master Fang Qing before them.

The Protective Profound Light displayed by this Young Master Fang had practically become tangible. Even the strongest sword qi killing move of a senior like Ouyang Xiyi was like striking the sea, incapable of stirring even the slightest wave.

How had this been accomplished?

Young Master Fang Qing appeared to be under thirty, yet his cultivation had reached such an unimaginable realm. Had he truly descended from the Immortal Realm to support a true ruler for this Human World?

Many expressions changed again and again, but Wang Shichong was the most shocked of them all.

As a court official who held great power, Wang Shichong had long possessed little loyalty toward Great Sui. What he wanted was to seize the opportunity while he commanded military authority and while Wagang's Li Mi and Zhai Rang could be destroyed, then establish himself as an independent power. In the great struggles to come, he could build a legacy of merit—even founding a royal dynasty of his own would not be impossible.

Yet now, seeing Fang Qing and his unfathomable Protective Profound Light, Wang Shichong's heart turned icy. If this man truly came from the Immortal Realm and had chosen Kou Zhong to become emperor of the realm, then no matter how Wang Shichong resisted, it seemed it would all be useless.

Could the countless troops under his command truly stop this man?

"I don't believe it. I want to try once more."

While Wang Shichong was reeling in shock, Ouyang Xiyi still wanted another attempt. His peerless killing move had just been blocked with ease, and he wanted to test him again.

"I'll give you that chance."

Fang Qing spoke without any killing intent. Otherwise, this martial arts master who had been famous in this world for decades would already have died beneath a thread of his Profound Light.

His Protective Profound Light could serve as protection, but it could also fly forth and transform into killing Divine Lights. Each ray could easily pierce mountain rock; piercing a human body would be even easier.

However, in this martial arts world, indiscriminate slaughter was not what he wanted. What he intended was to manifest divinity before all and make these martial arts masters submit.

Ouyang Xiyi did not know what Fang Qing was thinking. He raised his longsword and once more drove all his momentum into action. In an instant, sword qi filled the sky and spread toward Fang Qing from every direction.

It still had no effect whatsoever.

The moment all the sword qi touched Fang Qing's Protective Profound Light, it shattered. The defense of that light was so powerful that even after Ouyang Xiyi used all his strength, he could not inflict the slightest damage.

"Well?"

Fang Qing spoke, and rays of Protective Profound Light flew out, landing on the ground around Ouyang Xiyi. The fine flooring immediately split apart layer by layer, revealing bottomless black holes that seemed to bore deep underground.

The terrifying power of those rays of Profound Light left no doubt that if they struck a human body, they would instantly pierce it into a hedgehog, countless bloody holes bleeding at once.

Some even felt that if only a single ray of Profound Light landed on a person, it would turn them directly into a cloud of blood mist.

"I submit. Young Master Fang truly is an immortal descended from the Immortal Realm!"

Ouyang Xiyi's expression changed drastically. He knew the other man had shown mercy; otherwise, he would already be dead.

"I am willing to offer what little service I can to Young Master Kou Zhong. I only hope Young Master Kou will not disdain me."

Ouyang Xiyi's face was filled with deep emotion as he looked toward the two youths beside Fang Qing.

Of those two youths, one was named Kou Zhong—the man Young Master Fang Qing had chosen.

"Me?"

Kou Zhong had already been deeply shocked, apparently never expecting Brother Fang's Cultivation Level to reach such a level. When he suddenly heard Ouyang Xiyi address him, his gaze immediately became firm.

"With Senior Ouyang aiding me, what great undertaking could I fail to achieve?"